Seven Miles High
by bicorn-fics
Summary: It's Emily's last flight before her much-needed vacation from flight attending. What happens when she meets Naomi, a shy ad exec, and things heat up? M for future chapters.
1. Coconut

**Hello there! Thanks for dropping by, hope you enjoy what I've started. It just popped into my head one day and I decided to go with it. I wanted to note that I am not a flight attendant, or an advertising executive, and I know nothing about either profession. This is purely fictional; I do not own the characters either. Say what you will in the reviews, please! All criticism is more than welcome. :)**

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I felt my ears pop as I undid my safety belt. I rolled my shoulders back, attempting to ease the stiffness that had settled there. It was my last flight before a two week vacation, and I was eager for it be over with. The fasten seatbelt sign blinked off as I stood up, ready to prepare the beverage cart. I took my time. The flight from Glasgow to London was a good hour and a half; the passengers could deal with waiting an extra minute or two for their drinks.

"Hurry it up, eh Em?"

I turned around, a look of fake disgust plastered onto my face.

"Shove it, _eh_ Eff?" I mimicked her, doing my best to keep a straight face. My attempts proved to be futile as a goofy blonde woman poked her head out from the lou stall.

"Quit bickering, right-e-o? Last flight, then a week's vacay!" Pandora pulled her head back inside and proceeded to wash her hands, humming along to herself as Effy and I busted into a fit of giggles.

"Mental," Effy mumbled with one last laugh before joining me in prepping the cart.

"Hey, come on now. She's a doll and I know you love her, she's your best mate!"

Effy just rolled her eyes in answer as we began to make our way down the small aisle. Luckily for us it was a late flight, so at least half of the passengers were already asleep. Effy had the even rows while I had the odd. It was a good system, and got the job done efficiently.

The plane was a small one, with only 15 rows of seats, 2 on the right and one on the left. Effy was already irritated by the time we got to the 12th row, but I didn't pay her any mind. The best way to get through a flight was to be cheerful, even if you were in a shit mood, because people responded to that. Flash a smile, a 'miss' or 'sir,' and move along your merry way.

I had just finished handing a pack of sugar to an elderly man in 12c when I felt a sneeze coming on.

"Bollocks," I muttered under my breath, scrambling for a handful of napkins just in time.

I sneezed as quietly as I could, and to be honest I sounded a bit like a mouse. I wiped my nose quickly and pulled a bottle of hand sanitizer out from the inside pocket of my blazer.

"Bless you."

I looked up quickly, almost certain that it wasn't Effy who had spoken. I was right. Just behind her, in 13b, was a woman making eye contact with me, smiling meekly.

I smiled back at her, my eyes meeting hers. They had something to them, something _other_ than that brilliant blue. I tore my gaze away as Effy began pulling the cart. I pushed along with her, stopping at the blonde who had spoken to me.

"Thanks," I said softly. She smiled and muttered that it was nothing.

"Something to drink, miss?" I asked, lifting my brow ever so slightly to gauge her reaction.

"Just some water, please," she answered, still smiling.

"That your mum?" I asked as I placed a few cubes of ice in a clear plastic cup.

"Huh? Oh, no, she uh, she fell asleep and just kind of…ended up this way," Naomi blushed a bit as she glanced over at the older woman who had fallen asleep against her shoulder.

I handed her the cup with a napkin.

"Sweet of you not to wake her," I said before smiling and turning to help the person across the aisle from her.

I grinned as I poured my last few drinks, and as we pushed the cart into the back section of the plane, Effy noticed.

"S'that look for?" she asked, her eyes knowing.

"Blondie," I answered, smiling. "Thirteen B."

I began moving the cart into its storage area as Effy stood up on her toes, bracing her arms against the sides of the walkway as she peered over the seats.

"Can't tell," she shot across her shoulder, flattening out her feet and turning to face me.

I just rolled my eyes at her. She always did that, tried to see the cute girls I pointed out from the _back_ of the plane. All you could ever see were the backs of their heads.

Just then a small bit of turbulence washed over us, catching Pandora off guard at the front of the plane. She stumbled a bit, then hollered over to us a quick 'I'm alright!' A few of the passengers laughed, as did Effy and myself. The fasten seatbelt light blinked on just as I had finished stowing the cart, so we unfolded our seats from the wall and buckled ourselves in.

"So, a blonde, eh?" Effy raised a brow at me, her expression mischievous.

"That's right," I answered, tearing my gaze away as a figure approached us from the aisle.

Effy let out a tiny chuckle, barely audible. The passenger came to a stop right in front of us, her blue eyes roaming the area quickly before settling on the door to the lou. She lifted one side of her mouth into a half smile the moment her eyes met mine.

"'S'cuse me, miss?" she tore her gaze away to look at Effy, listening. "The fasten seatbelt light is on. Means you've got to have your seatbelt fastened, yeah?" The last sentence came as a bit of a question, but the woman just shrugged it off.

"I fastened it after I got up. No worries, my seat is safe," she smirked and turned the handle to the restroom, her eyes meeting mine once more as the door shut.

I grinned wide, my head tilted to gauge Effy's reaction.

"Ha ha _ha,_" a bit of fake laughter and an eye roll was all the response I got.

The handle to the lou jiggled and I turned to look at it, noticing that the area meant to be red when locked was still half green. I debated whether to stand or not, but my decision was made for me as Effy reached to unlock my safety harness and practically shoved me towards the door.

"The fuck, Eff?" I mumbled the question at her as I reached up to knock. "Everything alright in there, miss?"

"Fucksake," the woman mumbled before answering. "Yeah, well no, can't get the lock to cooperate."

She swung the door open a bit just in time for another round of turbulence, this time quite a bit bumpier than the last. I lost my footing and fell straight into her as the door shut behind me.

"Hmmph," she let out as I righted myself, my hands gripping her collar. I looked up at her, then turned to reach for the handle. I jiggled it, but it wouldn't function. I twisted around to attempt to turn it once more, but still nothing.

My back was pressed up against the blonde's front. The restroom was tiny, to say the least, but she was thin and I was very small.

"Huh, looks like it's locked itself," I managed to breathe out before turning back around. "Now it won't _un_lock."

I smiled up at her, her cheeks reddening.

"Well, shit," she answered, smiling back.

"Yeah…shit," I murmured, my eyes flitting from her lips to blue orbs, then back.

A few seconds passed, and we just stared at each other. Then, rather awkwardly, she lifted her hand up into the tiny space between us, offering it in a handshake.

"Hello."

"Hi," I answered, grasping her hand in mine.

"Naomi," she smiled again.

"Emily."

I opened my mouth again to speak, but I couldn't find any words. She appeared to be in the same boat, so we just stood that way for a moment, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. She began to lean down towards me and I felt myself doing the same, our facing slowly incher closer and closer together. I could feel my pulse quickening as my chest contracted. I held my breath. We were centimeters apart now, and I tilted my head to the side slightly just as her lips brushed against mine. I was just about to lift my hands up to place them on the back of her neck when a sharp wrapping at the door caused us to break apart quickly, cheeks flushed.

"You two okay?" Effy's voice rang out and I tried to stifle my laughter.

"Fine!" I called back, my voice higher than intended. "Lock's jammed."

I felt the woman against me giggle as I twisted myself back around to try to jimmy the lock, a bit disappointed at my success when the door swung open quickly, clocking Effy in the shoulder.

"Fucksake Em, a little warning?"

"Oops! So sorry," I answered, quickly stepping out of the restroom to make way for Naomi.

I pushed myself against Effy as Naomi squeezed out of the door. She looked at me timidly for a brief second before turning and making her way down the aisle, back toward her seat.

"So?" Effy nudged me in the side with her elbow.

"Coconut," I answered, brushing two fingers against my bottom lip with a smile.

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**Thanks for reading, please review! **


	2. Fancy Meeting You Here

**Author's note: Wow! There are so many of you who have read this and are now following, what an amazing surprise! Thank you to those of you who left feedback, and thanks for reading to the rest of you.**

**Like I mentioned before, this idea of a grumpy, flustered ad exec Naomi meeting Emily, a flight attendant, on a plane just came out of nowhere so I grabbed it before it was lost and just ran with it. Naomi didn't turn out to be the way I had originally imagined her, but I'm trying to keep some of her mystery alive.**

**Special thanks to folkpants and cecizeta for the support and kind words.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy.**

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I slowly stirred my tea with a small spoon, the metal clinking against the ceramic every now and then. My eyes drifted up to watch the flurry of snow outside, patience wearing thin.

_Bitch is late, _I thought to myself, sighing.

I lifted the mug to my mouth, blowing softly before taking a sip. I grimaced. Too much cream, but not enough sugar. Before I could muster the energy to stand and fix my drink, the bell on the café door jingled and I lifted my gaze. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I set my tea back down on the table.

"Hey, lezza," my sister called to me, brushing the snow from her shoulders and unwinding the purple scarf that was wrapped tightly around her neck. She leaned down to give me a quick peck on the cheek before unbuttoning her coat and sliding out of it, hanging it onto the back of her seat before sitting down across from me.

"Katie," I acknowledged my twin sister, my smile wider. It had been months since we had seen each other. Our schedules were insane and never matched up. She worked for a fashion magazine and was always out of the country for work, and my routine wasn't any better.

"My biscotti?" she inquired, the grin never leaving her face.

I pushed the plate across the table toward her, eyes narrowing a bit as she picked up the sweet.

"Don't get how you can eat those," I said, grimacing slightly as she took a small bite. "They taste like stale biscuits."

"Whatever, bitch," came her response before setting the treat back onto the plate. "How's your vacation?"

"Excellent," I answered, warming my hands on the outside of my mug. "Haven't left my flat in days!"

Katie just rolled her eyes at me, her typical response. I'd been on vacation for three days now and it really had been lovely. It was mid-January, so the snow was still falling, but I didn't mind one bit. It was nice to be firmly planted back on the ground, even if it was only for two weeks.

"You're so boring, y'know that?" she asked, taking another bite of her biscotti. "I'm in town for a couple more days, let's go out tonight! My treat."

Her treat, how could I say no to that? I'd gotten all the rest I needed since that last flight from Glasgow, and I was eager to enjoy myself before the weeks passed me by and left me back up in a metal bird, dreaming of a day off.

"Sounds ace, what time?"

"Nine? I've got some other shit to deal with beforehand," she ran a finger along the edge of the plate in front of her and looked up at me. I couldn't read her eyes, she didn't want me to, but I figured that it probably had something to do with her boyfriend, Jeremy.

"Trouble in paradise?" I inquired, bringing the coffee to my lips again.

Katie scoffed, then shrugged. "What paradise?"

I reached my hand across the table toward hers, squeezing briefly on contact before pulling away again. Intimacy was never Katie's thing, and I had always respected that about her.

"I'm sorry, Katie."

She seemed thankful for the comment, but her features suddenly hardened.

"Don't worry about it, alright Ems? Just meet me at mine tonight. We need an outing together, it's been ages!"

I beamed at her, nodding my head.

"Course, I'll be there."

"Well, I've got to jet, that wedge article isn't going to write itself," with that she stood up, leaving her half eaten biscotti behind for me to toss out later. She pulled her coat back on and expertly tied the scarf, her long hair still hidden under a winter cap.

"Laters," she called over her shoulder as she pulled the door open, bracing herself against the cold.

I sighed before taking a large gulp of my now warm tea.

_Might as well make it taste better now,_ I thought to myself as I stood, turning quickly and immediately bumping into a figure I hadn't seen.

A bit of my tea sloshed onto a neat white blouse, my eyes growing wide as I registered the person before me. Wavy blonde hair surrounded an angelic face, blue eyes startled at what had just transpired.

"Shit!"

"Bollocks!"

We uttered the words at the exact same moment and I couldn't help the tiny giggle that escaped my throat.

"I'm _so_ sorry," I managed to get out, but Naomi didn't seem to be irritated at all. In fact, she looked rather pleased.

"Oh, it's alright, just a shirt," she smiled sweetly, turning to reach for some napkins that were sitting on the nearby countertop.

"Uh…" I struggled for the right words, perplexed by my reaction. I was never awkward with girls, always flirty and confident. "Right, still sorry though!"

My voice came out a bit high and I blushed slightly, thankful the blonde wasn't looking my way.

"Luckily for both of us, I haven't got work today," she turned and smiled, cocking her head to the side a bit as she eyed me up and down briefly, pleased to see me in non-work attire.

I laughed awkwardly, not quite sure what to do. Determined not to make a _complete_ wanker out of myself, I turned on the charm, smiling brightly.

"Naomi," I said, her name rolling off my tongue with ease. I must admit, I had repeated it to myself more than once since our encounter on that flight a few days prior.

"Emily," she answered, not missing a beat. Her eyes sparkled and I got lost in them momentarily, shaking myself free of the trance as I took a step back.

"Care to join me?" I asked, the question a bit more flirtatious than I had originally intended.

She blushed slightly, her eyes flickering around nervously before landing back on mine. Our eye contact was brief. She nodded her head, mumbling a quick "sure" before following to sit down at my still-vacant table.

She lifted her cup to her mouth and sipped it slowly. I couldn't help but stare at her pink lips, briefly wondering if she was wearing that coconut lip balm again. I was torn from my thoughts when she set her drink down, smiling cheerfully at me.

I couldn't let things get awkward. _Chat her up, Em. It's what you're best at!_

"So, you live nearby?" I asked, suddenly wishing I had been able to add more sugar to my tea so I could at least enjoy it.

She nodded and swallowed before answering me, "That I do. Just a few blocks South, actually."

"Really?" I asked, surprised I'd never seen her here before.

"Yeah," she said, her eyes curious. "Yourself?"

"Oh, um, same really. Corner of Baker and Park." I kept eye contact, noticing how brilliant her blue eyes looked in the daylight as opposed to the overhead lighting on the small jet.

"No shit?" she asked, her smile wider now. "I live literally a block over, off Vine!"

My eyes widened a bit at this new information, my curiosity spiking.

"Are you serious?" she nodded happily. "How long have you lived there?"

There was no way it had been long. I'd been at my flat for over five years, moving in right before my twentieth birthday.

"Oh, not long at all really. Maybe six, seven weeks?" She shrugged, taking another sip from her drink.

"Aaah, alright then," I answered, smiling. "I thought it was weird I hadn't seen you around. I've lived at my place for like, five years now."

"Oh okay," she seemed genuinely interested in my response. "Well, I'm from Bristol. I only just moved here for a job."

I nodded happily, smiling at her when her eyes met mine again.

"Interesting," I answered, glad to learn more about this woman. "I've got a friend from there, Pandora."

"Are you shitting me?" Her eyes grew wide, as did mine. I wasn't sure if she was angered or what, so I just nodded quickly. Her face broke out into a huge grin before she continued. "Pandora _Moon?"_

"Yeah," I laughed.

"Holy hell, I went to college with her, haven't seen her in ages." Naomi eyes looked far off for a moment, her smile softening slightly before she brought her eyes back to meet mine. "Seven years, it must be now."

"Seriously?" I laughed a bit louder this time. "You _do_ know she was working that flight with me, the one from Glasgow?" I quirked an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. She really hadn't seen her on the flight?

"M-hmm," I nodded, smiling into my tea. "She was there the whole time."

Naomi suddenly looked a bit flustered, her cheeks turning a slight pink as she avoided eye contact.

"How did you miss her?" I asked, trying hard to keep a straight face. The girl was _cute_.

Naomi brought her hand up to rub at the back of her neck, shrugging slightly. "Guess I was a bit, erm…distracted?" she looked up at me then, a shy expression crossing her face.

I clicked my tongue in response before taking another sip of my drink, smiling at her as I set the mug back down.

I held her gaze and her expression changed from shy to…I'm not really sure what. It was different though, and I wished so much that I could identify it. I was sure my face was giving away my slight embarrassment; I felt a heat gather in my cheeks and my pulse quickened the slightest bit. The way she was looking at me now, it was unnerving. As if she knew something I didn't. She was boring into me with those endless blue eyes and I felt myself shift, suddenly very uncomfortable.

Her lips turned up into a slight smile and she sat back a bit in her chair, lifting her drink to empty the last of its contents into her mouth before pushing away from the table gently.

"Right, well," she started as she stood up. "I should probably go, I've got to change into a fresh top."

"Oh um, right," I answered, standing up as well, feeling strangely shy. She was still smiling, waiting for my next move, and it had me uncharacteristically flustered. "I've actually got to get home as well."

She quirked an eyebrow at me, her smile still soft as she silently waited for me to ask what I knew she wouldn't.

"We could…walk together?" I braced myself for a negative response or some sort of excuse that would let me down gently, feeling awfully silly all of a sudden.

"Yeah, sure," she answered , her features soft and welcoming. She turned and tossed her empty cup into the bin before straightening the coat she was still wearing.

I placed my arms into the sleeves of my parka, bringing it up over my shoulders before reaching into one of the pockets for my beanie. I pulled it down roughly over my red hair, trying hard to keep my eyes off of Naomi for fear she might catch me leering. I let her lead us, the bell on the top of the door startling me as she moved a hand out in front of her, indicating that I go first.

When I knew she couldn't see my face I grinned broadly. There was something about her that was so incredibly intriguing. Sometimes she was easy to read, but other times I was at a complete loss. I'd never been this interested in someone I'd only just met…I liked it.

* * *

The walk back to Naomi's flat was mostly silent, but not the uncomfortable kind. I'd kept my hands secure in my coat pockets, unwilling to let myself indulge in the feel of an occasional brush of our hands if they swung limply at our sides.

Her hair was so much prettier than I remembered. The color was truly striking, shimmering slightly as snowflakes landed atop her head. Her light blue eyes captivated me and her pale skin looked soft to the touch, but her nose and cheeks were a bright pink thanks to the cold gusts of wind that wouldn't let up. We stopped in front of a door and she turned to face me.

"This is me."

I gazed up at her, my body shivering from a sudden chill.

"Right well, it was good to—see you again," I stumbled over my words, carefully studying her face to find a reaction. There was nothing but a smile present there, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Likewise," she answered. "I honestly didn't expect to ever see you again."

My eyebrows rose the slightest bit as I digested her words.

"I'm glad I did, though."

I smiled at that, my heart growing just the tiniest bit.

"So am I."

Silence fell over us. Naomi cleared her throat suddenly.

"See you around, then?" She looked hopeful.

I nodded, "Yeah. See you around."

A couple of seconds passed, neither of us moving. Her eyes were drilling into me questioningly.

"Right then," I started, eager to hide my reddening cheeks. "Goodbye."

I waved then swiftly turned on my heels and began the short walk to my flat, not stopping to look back.

"Bollocks! Fucking wanker! Stupid cunt," I let out of string of insults aimed at myself, the wind burning my nose as I leaned into it, headfirst.

Why didn't I ask for her number or something? Bloody idiot, walking away like that. She must think I'm mental! I don't blame her, I'd be thinking the same if I were her.

She had seemed interested though, right? Was I just making that up? I mean, we _had_ kissed in the lou on the plane. And she hadn't seemed too thrown off by it, either. For me it was practically ordinary, I'd snogged plenty of girls on flights in my time at this job, but this was different. There was something about her that made my knees just the tiniest bit weak. The steadiness of my breath faltered when she looked at me in that certain way, as if she were waiting for me to do or say something. I actually lost most of my confidence around her, and that _never _happened.

This was getting really weird. I couldn't even remember the last time I liked a girl enough to actually _want_ to see her again, even for only 10 minutes.

I sank down onto the couch in my studio flat. Thankfully it was the first on the bottom floor so it took only seconds to get inside, no lift necessary. I pressed my face into the palms of my hands, trying to clear my head. Several minutes passed, but I couldn't let go of the image of Naomi standing outside her door, waiting for me to speak. It made me feel oddly guilty.

I sighed, throwing myself down sideways onto the couch, and pressed a pillow into my face, willing my thoughts to stop. I suppose it worked, because I drifted off to sleep quickly.

* * *

Naomi was still standing outside her door in the freezing cold, minutes after Emily had turned the corner down towards her flat. She felt oddly calm. She really hadn't thought that she would see the small redhead ever again, but life liked to throw her curveballs in that respect.

She wondered if they would have kissed if the circumstances had been different. If they _had_ expected to see each other again, would their interaction that day on the plane have gone differently? Naomi couldn't be sure. She had never really done anything like that before, in all honesty. Something about the way Emily had looked at her when the old woman was asleep on Naomi's shoulder…it had made Naomi's insides churn and her belly flop over.

She certainly hadn't intended to kiss Emily in that restroom. It just sort of happened of its own accord. Naomi had never felt so out of control of herself like that, and, although on a typical day it would have made her terribly uncomfortable, she didn't much mind how things had gone on that flight.

She took one last look down the street and let out a small sigh, finally wrenching her keys out from the depths of her jean pocket and unlocking the door quickly. She stomped her boots on the welcome mat inside and began making her way up the two flights of stairs to reach her door.

_I really did expect her to like, ask for my number or something though_, she thought to herself. _At least she lives close by. _

Naomi decided then that she would go to that café every day until she ran into Emily again. She didn't want things to play out as they had the last four years, her being too shy to let a girl know she was interested which inevitably led to their quick and wordless disappearance from her life. This time, she felt she might be ready. In her mind, she wasn't quite so sure, but the physical reactions she felt in the presence of the shorter girl begged to differ.

* * *

I'd woken up from my nap feeling a bit refreshed, but my thoughts were still jumbled. My fingers gripped the hem of my shirt, sliding it up over my head gently. What I had said to Katie about not having left my flat since I'd been home, well, that was a lie. I _had_ been out, just the evening prior, to get a tattoo. It was my second, the first being a rendition of Salvador Dali's "Elephants" on my right thigh that I'd gotten when I was twenty-two. It was one of my favorite pieces and I had thought about it for years beforehand.

This one was also planned, and I loved it just as much. It was a verse from my favorite poem, "Lady Lazarus," by Sylvia Plath. The verse reads "Out of the ash/I rise with my red hair/and I eat men like air." However, to give it my own twist, I'd altered "men" to read "women" instead. I found it humorous and oddly fitting, given my extensive history of short-lived romances.

Finally peeling the last of my clothes from my body, I reached into my shower and turned the hot water knob on. I had to admit that I was very excited to spend more time with Katie tonight. When she'd said yes to my invitation for tea I had expected her to stay a little bit longer than five minutes. That was Katie though, always rushing off to deal with something that was going wrong in her life; It was either handling men problems or work, which didn't leave very much room in her schedule for sisterly bonding.

I briefly wondered where we would be headed tonight as I stepped underneath the warm spray of water, letting it dampen my hair before I rubbed my eyes and opened them, squinting as I reached for the shampoo. It was silly of me to even question the location of our evening; We always ended up going to the same club in her part of town. To be honest I didn't care for it much, but I was willing to put up with a lot just to see Katie for more than a few moments time.

A night of drinks and dancing it was, then. I showered quickly, eager to get out of my tiny home. I really did love it though. If I had wanted to, I could have gotten a bigger place. A flight attendant's salary wasn't bad at all, but I was rarely home and decided to put most of my money into the bank anyway. Maybe someday I wouldn't be gone all the time and I'll actually need it. For now, though, I loved having a tiny studio flat. It was cozy and quaint, and I never brought girls home to mine anyway, at least not recently.

I had, once, years ago. Her name was Mandy, and honestly I was just drunk and really horny and didn't want to wait any longer to get her clothes off so I'd brought her to my flat since it was closer than hers. She turned out to be pretty mental though and stalked me for several months afterward, always hanging around mine when I got home from the airport. It was awful, but I finally convinced her that what we had was nothing compared to what some other, better girl could give her, and that was that. I never made_ that _mistake again.

I finished getting ready and checked the time. It was 8:30, perfect. I quickly pulled on my black boots and coat before grabbing my helmet as I made my way out of the door, keys jingling loudly at my side. I secured the helmet to my head and walked the twenty feet to where I had left my moped parked last night. Though I did walk and take the underground often, it was nice to have a ride when I needed to be somewhere quickly. Katie lived a good ways away, and it was faster and easier to get their by road than by train, and more comfortable at this hour. I slid the key into the ignition, the moped coming to life as I revved the engine once, twice before taking off speedily into the cold night air.

* * *

Three hours later and I was much less drunk than I had been earlier. Katie was still completely plastered and I couldn't help but laugh at her whenever she tried to pronounce words with more than one "s," her lisp magnified by the alcohol swimming in her bloodstream. She looked better than ever, her hair a slight purple in the dim lights of the club.

The music was loud and, to be honest, not my cup of tea, but I danced now and then anyway. I twisted away from any men who attempted to "grind up" on me or whatever it was called, and for once I didn't pay much attention to the girls either. Katie took notice.

"What's with you, Emsy? None of these girls pretty enough for you?" she grinned, eyeing me questioningly before trying to catch her straw between her teeth and failing miserably.

"It's not that…" I started, noticing that she had given up on the straw altogether as it flew over her shoulder, smacking against a tall girl who glared over at us.

"Then what?" Katie inquired further, her smile shrinking as she placed her empty glass down on the counter behind us.

I gave her a knowing look and her eyebrows shot up to the middle of her forehead before she squealed.

"No way!" I rolled my eyes in response, which only egged her on further. "Does _my_ sister actually _fancy_ someone?"

I reached for my water and brought it toward my lips, not bothering to answer her. I didn't need to say much more. Of course she had figured it out, Katie could always figure me out in the blink of an eye. I could never decide if that was a perk of being a twin or a disadvantage.

"Who is she?"

I lifted my eyes to meet hers and decided I'd at least give her _something_ to work with.

"I met her on my last flight from Glasgow on Tuesday," I knew she wanted more information but I honestly didn't know what else to say. "Her name's Naomi."

Katie smirked at me. "Naomi, huh? She must be fit as fuck if you're into her enough to not pay any of these other girls any attention, eh babes?"

I smiled sheepishly into my glass before setting it back down.

"Guess so. I've only met her twice though, so it's not really anything," I thought for a moment before continuing. "There's something about her though that I can't quite put my finger on."

I narrowed my eyes as questions about her began to fill my mind. _What made her tick? Did she always wear that lip balm? How big were her tits, really? Did the carpet match the drapes? _

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Katie spoke to me loudly. "Can't wait to meet her!" she winked. "All right Em, I think that about does it for me. Don't want to be too hung over tomorrow, I've got to break things off with Jeremy."

My eyes widened briefly with shock but I didn't want her to see.

"It's the right thing to do," I said as my hand briefly found her shoulder, providing the smallest bit of comfort before she turned away to grab her purse.

"Yeah yeah, save it, huh?"

I nodded and followed her out to the front of the club. I was fine to drive, having switched over from alcohol to water earlier in the night. I would have offered to give Katie a ride but she hated my moped, always calling it things like "wretched" and "lesbionic." The last one wasn't even a real word but she didn't care.

A brief hug and two cheek kisses later and I was standing on the side of the road alone, wondering what to do next. I wasn't tired at all. I climbed onto my bike and pulled my helmet over my head, fastening the straps before kicking it into gear and making my way back toward my neighborhood.

I stopped in front of a small pub near the café I'd met Katie at earlier, releasing my kickstand and tearing my helmet off. I shook my head a few times to let my hair loose before running a few fingers through the red locks. I examined the ends briefly, noticing that I needed to dye again soon. Before I could finish the thought I heard my name being called from nearby.

I turned to look, hoping Mandy hadn't gone nuts-o again, but was delighted when my eyes fell upon none other than the blonde I had so gracefully bumped into earlier this morning. I felt a flutter in my chest and I put on my brightest smile.

"Naomi."

* * *

**Thanks again, please review!**


	3. No One

**Author's note: A million thanks to all of you who actually **_**like**_** this. It's important for all of you to know that I can't actually write, so what's happening in this story is a complete and total fluke. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Naomi."

The moment I saw her leaning up against the wall of the pub I knew I couldn't keep up my _too-cool_ façade any longer, at least not tonight. She smiled shyly and waved, smoke billowing from the cigarette perched between two of her fingers.

I walked toward her, swinging my helmet at my side in an attempt to appear completely casual and not at all flustered. I prayed that it would work.

"Lovely evening, isn't it?" she asked me, her voice floating toward me like silk.

I nodded, still smiling. I had to give myself a second before speaking, otherwise my voice would surely crack and I'd blush until you wouldn't be able to tell my face apart from the hair surrounding it.

Naomi reached her hand out toward me, silently offering me a puff from her half-gone cigarette. The action alone gave me butterflies, and not the sweet kind. These were bulky and possibly retarded, smashing into the sides of my stomach and trying to crawl their way up my throat.

"No thanks. I've just quit," I answered, my eyes following the smoke upwards.

She raised her eyebrows briefly before responding. "Wow, nice one. I've tried so many times but it never sticks."

I leaned up against the wall next to her, bending my leg to rest my boot against the wall as well, before I answered.

"My job has been a plus," I stopped studying my nails for a moment to meet her gaze. "I can't exactly just 'pop out for a smoke' whenever a craving comes along."

Her smile widened and she nodded, "True. That must be nice though, right?"

I cocked my head to the side, unsure of what she meant.

"I mean, having a job that's helped with something that was hard for you to do."

"Oh, sure. I guess I'm lucky in that respect." I searched her eyes, surprised yet again by the vast blueness I found there.

"Maybe I should change jobs, pick one a bit less stressful," she took one last puff and then flicked her cigarette into the street before turning to face me. "I swear I only smoke because of it."

I adjusted myself so that my shoulder was pressed against the wall, mirroring Naomi's position beside me.

"Yeah? What do you do?" I was so curious at this point that if she turned out to be a janitor I probably would have been _totally_ into it.

"I work in advertising," she rolled her eyes just the slightest bit, then looked down at me again. "I've got to come up with ideas in order to sell bollocks merchandise, and it's _always_ last minute. I swear, if they gave us a month instead of 5 days, adverts wouldn't suck nearly as much as they do."

I grinned, happy to learn more about her life. "I'm sure that's true. Have you done anything I might know?"

She circled the tip of one of her Chuck Taylor-clad feet against the pavement, her eyes following its movements.

"Probably, but let's leave that for another time, hm?" she smiled before continuing. "Can't have you thinking I'm a _total _wanker."

I laughed out loud. I couldn't help myself. There were two reasons for it. A: She was hilarious and so _utterly_ adorable. And B: She didn't want me to think she was a loser!

"B" was especially good news and it caused my heart to lurch in my chest. I quickly composed myself internally and smiled once our laughter had died down.

"Fancy a drink?" I asked, smirking slightly.

Her cheeks turned just the slightest bit pink as she nodded, "Sure."

We turned to the door and she held it open, beckoning for me to go ahead for the second time that day. I smiled shyly and set my helmet down on the counter before hoisting myself onto one of the bar stools in the corner. Naomi followed suit and ordered us two beers. I honestly didn't care what I drank, or if I drank at all; the only thing on my mind was the blonde woman sitting next to me.

I desperately hoped that she was thinking the same thing.

"So, what are you doing here alone this time of night?" Naomi had turned to me, beer in hand, her knees inches from mine.

"I could ask you the same thing," I lifted a brow and took a quick swig from my pint.

"Well, I wasn't alone up until twenty minutes ago."

My heart sank.

Naomi continued, "My best mate met me here earlier, but he had to leave. Something about a girl, I think? Honestly I stopped listening halfway through his excuse," she cracked a huge smile and my mood lifted significantly. It wasn't another girl (or guy?), at least.

"Does he do that a lot?" I asked, my eyes on the drink in front of me.

"Mhmm," she swallowed. "Constantly, since college."

I looked at her, but she didn't seem upset in the slightest. "It doesn't bother you?" I asked earnestly. Her eyes softened.

"Not really, no. I'm not much for going out and partying anyway, so the earlier he ditches me the better."

I giggled and she followed suit, her laughter soft and sweet. It settled around me like a warm blanket. I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it quickly before raising my glass to my lips. I set it back down, ready to ask the question on my mind.

"Am I keeping you?" I tried my hardest to keep my eyes from deceiving me. They had a habit of showing my insecurities around Naomi, which really bothered me but at the same time I really liked that about her.

The look on her face went from confusion to extreme sincerity. Nobody had ever looked at me that way before. It was as if the only thing she wanted in this world was to make me feel okay.

"No, Emily, you're not keeping me," she smiled and I could have sworn her eyes flicked down to my lips for a second. "I'm right where I want to be."

I blushed slightly and smiled, turning my gaze down to my fidgeting fingers.

"So, are you avoiding my question, then?" she asked and I looked up again to see her still smiling at me. "You know what _I'm_ doing here, what about you?"

I shrugged, "Sort of a similar situation, actually. I was out at a lame club with my sister, but she had to go dump her boyfriend."

I rolled my eyes, then began laughing. For some reason I found the entire situation absolutely hilarious.

Naomi looked on, her face a mixture of confused and uncomfortable.

"M'sorry, it's just that he's _such_ an arsehole. They've been dating almost a year and it's absurd!" I reached for my pint. "She can do a lot better."

Naomi looked down into her glass then, shifting uncomfortably, before looking back up at me.

"And you?"

My brow furrowed, questioning.

"Do you have someone, y'know…?" she trailed off, suddenly shy and embarrassed, her eyes roaming across the bottles of alcohol behind the bar.

Her abrupt lack of confidence made me bold, and I leaned toward her slightly, urging her to look at me. When she did, I smiled.

"No one."

Her eyes brightened just the slightest bit, just enough for me to notice. I continued, feeling even braver.

"You _do _remember the day we met, don't you?"

Her cheeks flushed red but she didn't look away.

"Of course..." she started, then paused to take a large gulp from her beer. "I've thought about it on more than one occasion since."

I was suddenly very thankful for the alcohol we had both consumed. I wasn't entirely sure if she would have admitted something like that to me without it, or if I would have uttered the following two words.

"Me too," I said.

She smiled at me, this time with no hint of shyness. I felt a warmth spread outward from my belly. It was comforting and spurred me on.

"This—"

"I—"

We started and stopped abruptly, the chuckle that escaped her lips a sweet melody to my ears.

"Go ahead," she said, ever the chivalrous one.

I figured I had nothing left to lose, and things would probably turn out alright if I was reading her signals correctly.

"This afternoon, when I walked you home to your flat…" She was looking at me intently, no evidence of amusement on her face. I took a breath. "I had wanted to ask for your number."

She smiled, her blue eyes sparkling, and I felt the warmth return, stronger this time.

"It's funny you should say that." She was twisting a ring around on the middle finger of her left hand, staring at it fixedly. We made eye contact again and my breath caught in my throat. "After you left, I promised myself that if I ever saw you again I'd make sure it wasn't the last. Life's no fun as a coward, eh?"

This time I blushed, my heart pounding. She tentatively reached her hand out to mine and ran her index finger along my wrist before pulling back. It was a tiny, simple gesture but it had somehow managed to throw a wrench into the mechanics of my insides. The butterflies were back, violent as ever, and I shut my eyes tightly in an attempt to keep them from popping out of my head and rolling across the bar toward her.

I heard her shift and cracked my lids open. She was pulling out a crumpled receipt from her back pocket while simultaneously reaching across the bar for a pen someone had left with their bill.

She scribbled a few lines onto the receipt and slid it across the counter toward me, her grin wide now.

"Here you are," she said, eyes bright and endlessly blue.

I swallowed, my mouth rapidly drying. I looked down at the tattered paper and smiled.

**Naomi Campbell**

** 7488-210963 :)**

She'd drawn a smiley face. It was the cutest fucking thing I had ever seen and it made me swoon so terribly hard for her. I looked up and saw her watching me with a glint in her eye. I flicked my gaze down to her lips for a second, reminded of the way they had tasted of coconut, before looking at her eyes once more.

The blue eyes I'd been looking into before had changed. They were still friendly but there was a hint of something else in them. It was a look I thought I recognized, but I knew that if I allowed that thought to force itself into my brain I might collapse so I tried to ignore it.

Naomi broke off our staring contest, tipping her glass to finish off the last of her pint before placing it back down onto the bar. She pulled out a few bills and tossed them toward the bar tender who smiled back at her while nodding.

"Oh wait, no…You sure?" I asked, realizing that she had just paid for both our drinks.

She turned to me as she stood up and smiled, reaching her hand out to help me down from my high perch.

"Absolutely. You can get next time?" her question struck me as bold, but gave me the strangest sensation. It was as if I was her guitar and she was tuning me, preparing me for a song that I didn't know yet.

"Su—" I cleared my throat. "Sure." I tried to smile but I'm not sure it came out the way I had intended. She moved toward the door of the pub, her hand slipping out of mine before I had time to react. I reached for my helmet and held it under my arm, following her out the door silently.

We stood facing each other on the street, our coats wrapped tightly around us as the wind whipped our hair in different directions.

"Sadly I actually _do_ have work in the morning, so this would be good night for me."

I got caught up in her smile and the way the street lamps reflected off of her hair and eyes, and maybe I let the gap between her words and mine get awkwardly long.

"Would you like a ride?" I asked, motioning to my moped sheepishly.

Her smile widened and she nodded.

"Yeah, that would be really great!" she chuckled at her own excitement and I joined in, handing her the helmet I still held in my arms.

"Wear this," I said as I reached for my keys from my coat pocket.

"Yes, ma'am," she answered, mocking an official tone.

I rolled my eyes and got onto the bike, using my foot to push the kick stand up into its resting place. Naomi climbed on behind me and I felt a hundred times warmer with her body pressed against the back of mine. She clasped her hands together at my stomach, her grip tight.

I smiled to myself, my stomach constricting and then returning to normal repeatedly as my heart thundered along in my chest.

"Hold on tight!" I called back to her as I started the engine and pushed us away from the curb, slowly accelerating.

The wind was so much worse without a helmet. My hair was wild, and I swore that I could feel Naomi's body lurching with laughter at my expense. Even my fringe was getting blown about, but luckily the ride was only a few short minutes. I drove the moped up the handicap ramp and onto the sidewalk in front of her flat, thankful for the chance to right myself before Naomi could see the state I was in from the front.

I combed my fingers through my hair quickly and hopped off the motorbike with ease, grinning as I turned to face Naomi. She carefully removed my helmet and held it out toward me, her smile matching mine and reaching her eyes.

She giggled and the sound of her laughter began filling me up like a hot air balloon. I had a sudden sensation of floating up and away from her so I grabbed her sleeve without thought and she looked down at my hand with curiosity and amusement.

"Sorry," I said, pulling my hand away quickly and wiping at my frozen cheeks.

She didn't answer, just reached her right hand out and stuck her first two fingers through my belt loop, jerking me slightly closer.

"Thanks for the ride," she mumbled and it was my turn to giggle, this time all happiness without a hint of awkwardness. I brought my hands up and pressed them against her shoulders, relieved to find some warmth there.

"You're welcome," I answered, my eyes raking over her pink lips. I jerked away quickly. I didn't want to make assumptions about, well…about whatever this was between us.

She lifted her arm and brought her hand up to rub absentmindedly at the back of her neck, something I knew I hadn't seen the last of.

"Have a good night, Emily," she said before taking a few steps backward. Her eyes flitted back and forth between mine and she retraced her steps suddenly. I could see the cogs turning in her head but before I had time to question anything, her right hand snaked its way to the back of my neck and she pulled me in close until our lips were almost touching, a mere hair's width between them.

I felt my knees go week and I sighed as my eyes fluttered closed. I suppose that was the reaction she desired because she gripped my waist with her other hand and pressed her lips to mine in an incredibly soft yet firm kiss.

At that moment I lost complete control of my body. I honestly couldn't tell if I was still standing, all I could feel was the soft caress of her fingers on the hairs at the base of my neck, our breaths mingling as we kissed slowly. Somehow I managed to make use of my arms and I wrapped them around her neck, pulling her just the slightest bit closer.

Her tongue ghosted across my lips and I returned the movement, tasting coconut immediately. My heart jumped into my throat and my stomach ties itself into a giant knot. That was it for me; I had to pull away before I fainted onto the freezing sidewalk. I opened my eyes to find her grinning lazily at me and I giggled a bit as I looked up at her. Those blue eyes were full of kindness and a sweet yearning that made my head swim. I patted my hands against her shoulders and took a small step back, my smile wide as ever. We gazed at each other for a few qiuet moments before I felt composed enough to speak.

"Thanks for a wonderful evening," I said. I was really at a complete loss for words, her kiss still lingering against my lips. "I'll call you."

She nodded happily and made her way over to the door to her place before answering with that same big smile.

"I'm really looking forward to it."

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**I really hope that this chapter wasn't a disappointment to any of you. Please review! Thanks again for reading.**


	4. Perfect

**Author's note: I really need to send out a special thanks to my dear friends for their support and interest in this story: cecizeta, aida, folkpants, and M. Love you all!**

**Thanks for reading!**

* * *

It had been thirteen hours and twenty-some-odd minutes since Naomi had seen Emily. More specifically, since Naomi had _kissed _Emily. Thirteen and twenty-some-odd hours since Emily had kissed her back. And yet Naomi's phone remained silent. No texts, no calls, no voicemails.

Naomi sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She swiveled in her desk chair and reached to grab a folder that she had pulled out of the file cabinet next to her desk ten minutes ago. Her office was fairly spacious, which came along with the perk of overseeing several advert productions all at once.

She slowly moved the computer mouse across the pad, clicking softly and opening an email she had just received. She got through two lines of it and her ears began turning red, her face forming a scowl. She stood up and pushed her chair back roughly, stomping to her office door and rounding the corner at the end of the hall. She stepped into the office of one of her coworkers, Jonah Jeremiah Jones.

"JJ! This advert is due at 5 o'clock this evening, where is the final draft!"

JJ looked up from his desk the moment he heard his name, his eyes wide, mouth slightly agape. He attempted to speak but the words just wouldn't come out. This only irritated Naomi more, spurring her on.

"Look mate, if you don't have it on my desk by 4:55 you're fucking _fired_, understood?"

She didn't give him time to respond, instead she turned on her heel and made her way over to the break room. She picked up a cup and began to poor herself some coffee when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She placed her coffee down on the table nearby and pulled her phone out to check the message, hoping that it was from Emily.

* * *

**Same day, 4 hours earlier…**

I was sitting on the bench furthest from the sandbox at the park near my house when it happened. I was holding an empty Gatorade bottle between my legs as I attempted to light the spliff perched between my lips. The wind kept putting the flame of my lighter out, and I was getting rather frustrated.

To be honest I don't get high often at all, but in my thoughts-of-Naomi-induced anxiety I decided that maybe it would help calm my nerves. At this point that hypothesis had already been proven wrong.

I flicked the lighter again and felt something drop onto the top of my beanie. I froze, suddenly very aware of how many birds there were in this particular park. At least thirty or so were on the ground ahead of me, nearly half as many flying above the bench area.

I slowly reached up toward my head and delicately removed my cap, turning it so that I could get a look at the top. Sure enough there was a giant splotch of runny, white bird crap all over it.

"Bollocks!"

I balled the hat up and stuffed it into my coat pocket before standing up. I started toward the bin, kicking a large pebble in front of me angrily before tossing out the Gatorade bottle. I pulled out my phone and opened a new message, scrolling through my contacts until I reached "Naomi Campbell." I ticked the box next to her name and took a deep breath.

I had yet to contact her. I tried calling when I woke up but I chickened out, hanging up before the first ring. I wondered for a brief moment if she even cared, but pushed the thought into the back of my mind. She was the one who kissed me. There was no way in hell that she didn't like me at least a little bit.

I focused my attention back on the blank message, and began to type.

**Hi Naomi, it's Emily from the plane—**

I huffed, then erased the message. I drummed two fingers against the inside of my coat pocket before starting again.

**Good morning, it's Emily Fitch. I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me—**

I sucked at this. Anything I wrote seemed stupid. I thought about it for a couple of minutes and finally tried one last time.

**Naomi, it's Emily. Do you want to go on a date with me?**

I rolled my eyes and clicked cancel, exiting the application on my phone and plunging it into my pocket. Maybe I would try later, once my head was less foggy.

* * *

"Hello?"

"Effy, I need your help."

I could almost hear her rolling her eyes as she let out a quiet huff.

"If it's got to do with strap-ons, count me out."

I laughed. "No no, I need help asking a girl out."

There was a slight pause before Effy said anything.

"Wait, seriously? Who?"

"Remember the blonde from our last flight?"

"Wow, that's ace Emily. Congrats on that one. As for asking her out…" she whistled, then continued. "Don't really know much about that, and you know it!"

I groaned, "Yeah but, like, pretend you're me and you fancy someone. What would you say?"

"Fuck if I know! Why don't you ask Katie?"

"Because you know she's a slut, she'd probably tell me to ask her over to my flat for sex!" I sank further down into the couch, closing my eyes.

"What's wrong with that?" Effy asked, chuckling.

"Oh forget it. Call you later," I hung up before she could respond, tossing my phone to the other side of the sofa. I eyed it for a moment, let out a long breath of air and then reached across to pick it up.

I thought back to last night, after I'd crawled into bed. I had an impossible time falling asleep. All I could think about was Naomi. Her glistening blonde hair, her insanely beautiful blue eyes, her lips against mine, the way she held me against her, tightly but softly at the same time…I must have spent an hour just rolling about in bed, trying to get comfortable as my mind betrayed me. I fell asleep with the taste of coconut still on my lips.

It didn't need to be this hard. Why was I so intimidated? If she said no, she said no. Not a big deal, right? I began to type, then smiled to myself as I read the message over:

**Hi Naomi, it's Emily Fitch. Fancy lunch tomorrow?**

Sweet and simple. I hit send and held my breath as my heart began to thump quickly in my throat. Naomi's response came moments later:

**Sounds mint. There's a lovely place close to my office that we can meet at. It's called Bruno's, at the corner of Wilson and Chartres. 12:30?**

I blew all of the air out of my lungs loudly and smiled, relief flooding through my body. I typed a quick text back to her:

**Perfect. See you then.**

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**I'm sorry it's so short, I felt that I needed to publish this before the weekend was up. I've got an incredibly busy week ahead, followed by an exciting vacation, so it may be a couple of weeks before I update again.**

**Please review, I **_**will**_** be back! **


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